DaimlerChrysler Settles Dispute Over Recalls

DaimlerChrysler Corp. paid $400,000 to settle a dispute with U.S. safety regulators over whether the auto maker delayed two recalls last year. The penalty was one of the largest ever collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The dispute involved two recalls. The first, in January 1999, covered 700,000 1993-1997 LH sedans with 3.5-liter engines. The fuel rail that delivers gasoline from the tank to the engine had a seal that could degrade and cause leaks. The other recall, in December, involved a clutch line problem on about 9,000 Dodge Ram four-wheel-drive pickups with 8.0-liter engines. DaimlerChrysler admitted no wrongdoing.